Painful 1918 winter | Turning back the pages

Owing to the extremely cold weather and over-abundance of snow of this record-breaking winter, things are in a bad way up in Sodom, a little hamlet in the Town of Johnsburgh. The Warrensburgh News correspondent there sees a gloomy outlet for spring, but in spite of this he absolutely refuses to worry. This is the right spirit. Listen and take cheer, ye pessimists, from the brave advice of this dauntless spirit.

It has been the coldest here this winter that it has been in many years. Almost everyone’s cellar has frozen. If it keeps on much longer there will be no potatoes left for seed next spring, and none to eat. It looks as if now we would have to spring out on greens, if any manages to grow.

But what is the use of borrowing trouble? It comes fast enough for all of us and we can make it no better by worrying. Let us all look on the bright side and do the best we can. It is an ill wind that blows no good to anyone and maybe the good is coming this way soon — I hope so.

BAD TIMES ROLL ON

After the last great storm, it took 10 men, four horses, the road machine and scraper three days to open the road from Bakers Mills through Sodom.

The stage could not get through and we had to go without our daily mail, but there was one thing to be grateful for: there was no one sick, no one drunk and no one quarreling, all was peace and good will to all.

Some of the women had to take a shovel around the house so as to get out and attend to chores as some of the men are in the woods hard at work.

WATER SHORTAGE FELT

Warrensburgh faces a water famine. Unless weather conditions improve and there is an early abatement of the severe cold, it seems practically inevitable.

The pressure in the village mains has been greatly reduced during this first week of February, indicating a rapidly failing supply in the Warrensburgh Water Company’s reservoir on Harrington Hill.

An investigation has shown that the ice is so thick that the water capacity has been reduced to an alarming extent. The utmost economy in the use of water is strongly urged. Every consumer should be as sparing as possible of the already meager supply. The only hope of relief is in a possible February thaw.

Since early December there has been practically no let up in the extreme cold weather and this has brought about the present disabling conditions, which are about the same elsewhere.

FARMING DISTRICTS SUFFER

In the rural districts there is the same trouble. The severe weather has frozen the springs and ponds to a depth ranging from three to five feet deep.

A number of farmers, with large herds of cattle, daily find that the water in their wells is being less, while there are but few springs with a flow sufficient to quench the thirst of the livestock.

One farmer, residing north of Warrensburgh village, expressed the opinion that owners of cattle and horses would be obliged to drive their stock, in many instances, many miles for water unless a decided change in temperature was soon in evidence.

SCHROON RIVER AT LOW EBB

The river is also in an extremely bad way and there is little hope of improvement until there is eventually some rain. The Electric Light Company, securing the power from the river, is suffering great inconvenience and unless conditions improve soon, they will have to curtail their service or provide other power.

The cold wave this week, the second week of February 1918, was discouraging. But there is always the hope that better days are coming.

KEEPING THE HOME FIRES BURNING

Sen. James A. Emerson, acting upon the recommendation of the Warren County Fuel Conservation Committee, has introduced in the Senate a bill providing that dead and fallen timber may be removed from the state’s forest preserve and used for home fuel. Under the present law no wood of any kind can be taken from the forest lands owned by the state.

BAD NEWS SOUTH OF HERE

Vineyard Sound, Buzzard’s Bay and Nantucket Sound are chocked with ice and shipping is at a standstill. Six tugs and 15 barges, many of them laden with coal for Boston, were anchored in the ice there with no prospect of being able to move for several days, if not weeks. A five-masted schooner also was trapped in the ice.

BEARS ARE BEING REPLACED

Saturday, Feb. 2, 1918, is Candlemas Day, observed with special services in the Catholic Church.

It is also this day when the bear comes out of his winter quarters to take an observation on the weather. If he sees his shadow he goes back for another six weeks of winter. No shadow, winter is broken. Watch for the bear and hope for the best.

(Update: It seems that the almighty Adirondack bear has been replaced by a fat little woodchuck over the past 100 years.)

SWEET AND SOUR NOTES

Dr. Bibby has been making professional house calls on snowshoes owing to the drifted conditions of area roads.

William Hayes has bought Ed Williams’ farm in Athol for $900. Frank Ordway, of Pottersville, purchased a cow from William Wallace. A.T. Crandall, of North Thurman, is drawing pulp wood this winter, about 200 cords of spruce and balsam, to The Glen with two teams.

Thought for the day: If some men profited by their mistakes they would soon be millionaires.